Begin Again
by likecominghome
Summary: After going their separate ways for college, Stiles and Lydia reconnect.


She took a deep breath, chewing on her bottom lip nervously as she tugged once more on the hem of her dress. It had been so long since she wore a dress with heels that she'd forgotten how much she liked her legs. Dresses were her favorite article of clothing to wear and although she loved all kinds of shoes, she was often thankful for her short height as it provided her with an excuse to wear heels whenever she desired.

But her ex didn't like when she wore them because they made him feel small, despite the fact that she was still a good few inches shorter than him with them on. So she played the good girlfriend and wore flats whenever they were together. That should have been the first indication that something about their relationship was off.

With one last nod, she combed her fingers through the bottom of her hair, loosening her strawberry blonde curls before shrugging on her jacket, collecting her iPod, and walking out the door. She'd decided to let her hair grow out to its natural color after her last relationship ended. It was time for a change. It was time for her to rediscover herself.

Up until eight months ago, she'd been dating Daniel Johnson, a Wall Street investment banker she'd met because he came to see one of her lectures at the university whose family was extremely powerful, especially in the higher social circles. At first the exclusive parties and fancy dinners seemed so glamorous and it felt surreal to be dating someone who was so influential. But soon, her private life was splashed on gossip sites and being reported on news channels and being speculated upon on talk shows.

It was utter madness and she wanted out. She wanted a quiet life with him; one where they weren't constantly hassled by paparazzi. At least that's what she thought until the day she discovered that he had tipped off the paparazzi to their whereabouts and she realized he would never love her as much as he loved the attention.

Shaking those lingering thoughts of him from her mind as she walked down the street, she put in her headphones and immediately smiled when her favorite song began to play. It was slow and moving and melodic; the perfect song to play when she was in one of those moods to drink wine and mull over the important things in life.

It had always annoyed Daniel. He wasn't much of a deep thinker and when he came home to find her daydreaming on the couch, he would always roll his eyes and walk away. He didn't understand this song. But she did.

She smiled at strangers as they passed, her wide eyed gaze taking in the buzzing activity of the city. She'd always loved New York, ever since her mom brought her to visit when she was young. It was exciting and exhilarating and constantly kept her at the edge of her seat; a few of the reasons she had moved here after college.

After high school, her group of friends had all gone their separate ways, attending colleges all over the country. Of course, they had all kept in touch over the years, but they had lost that sense of family that had guided them through the their teenage years, when they were bonded by the mysteries of Beacon Hills and their need to protect their town. Still, they made a point to call each other up when they knew they were close by.

Which is why she had enthusiastically agreed when she had received a call from Stiles a few days earlier, saying that he had a few meetings in town and they should meet up for coffee. Her initial reaction had been one of excitement, but as the day approached, that joy slowly turned into fluttering in the pit of her stomach.

She couldn't explain why she was nervous. Rationally, she knew she had no reason to be: he was one of her best friends. Just friends; that's all they had ever been. Lord knows everybody in Beacon Hills had tried to force them together often enough. She supposed they found it hard to believe that a man and a woman could maintain a strictly platonic relationship.

No matter how many times they denied it, laughed off the comments and proclaimed that they were just good friends, it seemed people always assumed there was something more going on. So much so, that it got to the point that she wondered if they ever could be more than friends.

She would be lying if she said she didn't feel anything, if she said her emotions towards him were purely those of sisterly affection. The truth was, that fluttering had been there for a while.

It was hard _not _to fall. He was sweet and caring and extremely passionate. His natural charisma and confidence made her feel as though she was entirely special and she found she couldn't pull herself away.

But she worried that her feelings stemmed from the emotional tether, from those around who insisted that she and Stiles shared some sort of special connection. She worried that the fluttering only existed because other people told her so.

So when high school ended and they went their separate ways, she breathed a sigh of relief. And to this day she was thankful for that time apart because it allowed them to find who they were in the world without each other. He'd dated a few people over the years – she checked up on him on social media – and she'd had her own set of relationship issues. In the end, all she'd learned was that she didn't know nearly as much about relationships as she thought.

Tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, she fiddled nervously with the strap of her purse and slowed her pace as she approached the café at which they had promised to meet. She assumed she was early because Daniel was always late to everything, so searched for a place to wait, but her breath caught in her throat at the sight of a familiar figure leaning against the wall by the door.

He looked just as she remembered, his dark hair grown out the way she liked it. Perhaps he was slightly taller and had filled out his long, lean frame, but he still maintained that air of oblivious charm which she so admired. Stiles could probably charm the pants off anybody he liked, but he was never aware of the affect that he had on those around him. His head was lowered as she approached, his dark sunglasses slipping down his nose as he stared intently at his phone.

She poked her tongue between her lips nervously, coming to a stop in front of him, unsure of how to draw his attention. Inhaling deeply, she reached out a hand and tapped him lightly on the shoulder, well more the arm because their height difference made it difficult for her to reach his shoulder easily.

She wasn't quite sure what to expect, but when he looked up and realizes it was her, he smiled a smile so stunning she felt her heart stop. Before she can say a word, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into a tight embrace, swaying her lightly. She melts effortlessly into his arms, wondering why they had to feel so amazing. He smiled lightly when he pulled away and she felt strangely cold when he dropped his arms shoved his hands in his pockets.

"It's so good to see you," he exclaimed, that brilliant smile still lighting his face.

Although she knew it was a customary greeting in these situations, she could tell he meant it, that he really did miss her, so she returned his smile easily.

"It is," she agreed, "It's been much too long."

He nodded, pulling open the café door and gesturing for her to enter. She smiled in gratitude and asked the hostess for a table for two, thanking her politely when they were seated at a small table by the window.

They each received a cup of coffee and a slice of cake and took long, savoring sips before staring at each other intently.

He broke the silence first, laughing lightly as he tapped his fingers against the side of his cup. "Why is this weird?"

Although the question should have offended her, she let out a sigh of relief because he had spoken her thoughts exactly. She crinkled her nose and smiled. "This is a little awkward, right? I don't get it, we used to be able to talk to each other about anything."

He paused for a moment, chewing on his bottom lip, his gaze making her squirm in her seat until he sighed and shook his head. "I guess I'm just scared that things will be different between us, that you'll be different."

"How so?" she asked, tilting her head to the side, enjoying the way the daylight made his brown eyes look as though they were on fire.

He pressed his lips together, the corners turning upwards into a small smile. "I'm afraid you won't laugh at my jokes anymore."

She grinned widely and chuckled, shooting him a pointed stare. "Stiles, come on. This is me we're talking about."

There was a possibility that back in high school, she had done more eye rolling than laughing, but she genuinely did think he was hilarious. His sarcastic wit couldn't be matched and more often than not, she'd found herself replaying something he'd said in her mind and laughing later on.

His smile grew and she swore it got more spectacular each time she saw it.

"Hey, Lydia," he said, raising his eyebrows cockily. "What did the wave say to the shore?"

Her eyes lit at the line and even though she already knew the answer, she couldn't help but chuckle loudly when he replied with, "Nice to sea you!"

And that was all it took.

It was as though all of that original tension faded instantly. One corny joke and they were back to being Stiles and Lydia; just how she liked it.

He told her about his life as a member of the Beacon Hills Police Department; about how he loved the mysteries and figuring out the crimes when it seemed like there was nothing left to figure out. He told her about how he'd finally gotten his dad to go on a diet and how nice it was to no longer wake up and wonder if he was going to live through the day.

She told him about the classes she taught and how she was so proud of the students who ended up getting As when, at the beginning of the semester, they swore they were going to fail. She told him about how incredible it was to teach people who truly appreciated her brilliance, but how she constantly missed her mother. She told him that, finally, everything made sense.

Two hours later, their cake has been devoured and their plates pushed to the side and forgotten and they were laughing as Lydia told him the latest lame joke one of her students had learned the day before.

He threw his head back as his deep, melodic laugh rings out, his eyes crinkling as he squinted and wiped away tears. She thought it was adorable that he looked about five years old and that fluttering in her stomach became more rapid.

"I forgot how funny you were," he said, his eyes twinkling in the sunlight.

She rolled her eyes because she knew he was just being nice. There was no doubt she had a sense of humor, but no one had ever called her funny before. "You don't have to say that."

"It's true," he replied, leaning forward and intertwining his fingers on the table top.

She whispered her thanks, turning her head to hide the blush creeping to her cheeks.

There was a moment of silence and a quiet hum settled between them before Stiles spoke softly.

"Lydia?"

She hummed in response, turning her attention back to him, admiring the way his skin glowed in the afternoon light, but forgetting how to breathe when she saw his dazzling eyes were clouded over.

"How come nothing ever happened between us?"

The question caught her off guard, partly because she didn't expect Stiles to be so bold, so her response was to blink at him in confusion. It was a complicated question. She supposed the simplest explanation was that they just never talked about it.

There was no denying that all the signs were there: the lingering touches, the flirtatious smiles, the meaningful glances. Anybody could see they had chemistry, but that didn't mean they'd ever confronted those feelings.

She parted her lips to speak, hoping to provide some sort of deep explanation, but ended up shrugging and stammering, "I don't know."

And then she realized this was a golden opportunity. After all those years of wondering, she could finally find out the question which had been burning in the back of her mind since she realized their mutual attraction. "Did you want something to happen?"

He'd once declared his feelings for her at formal, saying that he'd been in love with her since the third grade. At the time, they couldn't even be considered friends, so she had written off the grand gesture and let the memory fade from her mind. As they grew closer, however, it seemed as though Stiles had let go of that childhood crush and started to think of her as just a friend once more and by the time graduation rolled around, she was almost certain that his feelings had disappeared entirely.

It was his turn to be surprised and he gaped at her for a few seconds before pressing his lips together and looking her straight in the eye. "Yes. I still do."

Although she had considered that response as a possibility, when it was finally out in the open, it seemed almost too good to be true. She stared at him in awe, searching his face for some sign of insincerity, but when she found none, she allowed herself to relax and accept the truth that had finally become clear after all these years.

They were a perfect match.

So she stretched her lips into a smile, admiring the way his features lit with joy as she did and whispered, "Me too."

That was it; that was the end of her world as she knew it. All of a sudden, everything seemed to sparkle in beautiful light and she wondered how she could have ever thought the world could be anything but absolutely breathtaking.

After gazing at her in adoration for a few moments, he laughed and changed the topic of conversation. As always, everything was easy between them; the conversation flowed naturally and she felt entirely comfortable even when all they did was sit and smile at each other.

Later, he walked her back to her apartment building and she wondered whether she should tell him about Daniel. She found it strange that neither one of them had brought up their past relationships yet. At the very least, she figured he deserved to know.

But then he took her hand, intertwining their fingers as they walked as though it was the most natural action in the world and she stared at the space where their bodies connected, admiring the way his large hand engulfed her tiny one, making her feel utterly safe. It had been a while since a man had held her hand in public and a blush tinted her cheeks, but as she watched him continue the conversation they were having about their favorite old movies, she decided that perhaps the past was best left just there: in the past.

As they reached the front of her apartment building, the inevitable awkward silence stepped in as each of them wondered how to proceed. She took the lead, standing on her toes to kiss him full on the lips, clutching his plaid button up in her fist to hold herself steady.

He seemed surprised at first, but deepened the kiss after a moment, wrapping his arms around her petite frame to pull her close. She found he tasted exactly how she remembered and his arms were just as strong and supportive as before, but this kiss was entirely different.

The only other time they had kissed had been a moment of complete necessity. She had run out options and desperately wanted to stop his panic attack, so she had pressed her lips against his, hoping that the way he held his breath would do the trick. It had worked, but it hadn't been a kiss that she'd had the opportunity to enjoy because of the circumstances under which it occurred. But as she sunk into his embrace and smiled against his lips, it was an entirely new experience and she decided that in his arms was her new favorite place to be.

He laughed softly as he pulled away, that beautiful smile lighting his face once more and she couldn't help but mimic his actions.

"This was nice," she sighed, wishing she could find a more appropriate word.

"This was perfect," he replied, leaning down to press a soft kiss to her lips before stepping towards the curb and signaling for a taxi.

"I'll call you, ok?" he promised as he wrapped his arms around her once more, grinning widely. "I'll be in town for a couple more days and I want to take you on a date."

"That sounds wonderful," she said, already tingling in anticipation. She tilted her chin upwards to peck his lips once more, her heart beginning to ache slightly when a taxi pulled up to the curb and he pulled open the door.

He grinned widely as he slipped into the seat and lifted his hand in a wave. "I'll see you soon."

She nodded and held his smile until he closed the cab door and it pulled away, leaving her alone on the sidewalk before allowing her face to fall. Although their day had been nothing short of fantastic, his parting words left her feeling hollow. She'd received too many empty promises in the past to believe he would really call without specifying a time.

But as she walked through the lobby of her apartment building, her phone buzzed and she felt that fluttering in her stomach when she reads his name on the screen, indicating she has a new text message.

_Hey gorgeous. I had an amazing time today and I can't wait to see you again. Will you do me the honor of going to dinner with me tomorrow night? I'll call you tomorrow morning with the details. 10:30 am sharp. Until then, sweet dreams. _

She found herself grinning uncontrollably as she stepped into the elevator and pushed the button for her floor. For the first time in months, she thought perhaps she may have discovered something beautiful.


End file.
